Tim Massa is Chief Associate Experience Officer at Kroger, one of the largest employers in America with 400,000 associates across 3,000 stores. He got there after 21 years at Procter & Gamble, 18 different roles, and then 16 years at Kroger.

In this conversation with Mogul CEO Tiffany Pham, Tim walks through the path to the Chief Officer seat: the mentor who planned her own succession four years out, the day he found out he'd be next, the first week on a company plane to Houston, and the March morning in 2020 when the company sent hundreds of thousands of people home without a playbook.

He also describes something Kroger is doing now that few companies are: an "AI driver's license" issued to every associate, certified to their specific role, so a data scientist, a category manager and a cashier are each trained for the AI their own job actually requires.

Special Quote: "Asking for help is a sign of strength. No one person has all the answers."

Chapters
00:40 Growing up in Cincinnati, the youngest of five
02:37 Midnight Massa, and 21 years at Procter & Gamble
03:45 Turning down Singapore
04:31 Joining Kroger under Katy Barclay
06:32 Taking the top chair
07:16 Bloom where you're planted
10:41 On the cover of HR Executive
13:39 The first week
15:31 COVID, with no playbook
17:59 The biggest little company in America
20:12 Collaboration as the new currency
21:53 The AI driver's license
24:19 Values that haven't changed in 50 years

Chief Officer is hosted by Tiffany Pham, CEO and Chairman of Mogul.